Equality and accessibility policy

What we do

Sunderland Special Educational Needs and Disability, Information, Advice and Support Service recognises and respects diversity and aims to reduce and remove existing inequalities and barriers.

• Sunderland Information, Advice and Support Service is committed to providing up to date, accurate and timely advice, support and information for all service users regardless of their ethnic background, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, family status and social class.
• we aim to meet the needs of all people and to remove or minimise disadvantage
• We encourage people, whatever their ability, background, sexuality or gender, to participate in public life or in other activities especially where their participation is disproportionately low.
• We support service users to challenge inequality

To ensure this for service users we will:

• Support all parents/carers, children and young people to ensure equal opportunity of access to education
• Work towards ensuring all parents/carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disability are aware of the service we provide.
• Work towards making our service accessible to all, in terms of physical access, individual and group support at flexible times, and written information.
• Ensure that all publicity materials and information will be available in accessible English and we will try to provide information in other languages if required.
• We will ensure that all service users who require support outside our remit are signposted to other agencies or services
• We will monitor and evaluate our working practices to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of service users

How access and equality is ensured

• This policy will be published on Sunderland IAS website and its contents made know to service staff
• Ratified by Sunderland IAS service steering committee
• Reviewed annually

Review 2017